Automotive electrical distribution systems usually include a main vehicle wiring harness which is manufactured as a sub-assembly. The main vehicle wiring harness includes a plurality of electrical connectors for receiving electrical signals and for outputting those electrical signals to various components of the vehicle such as engine control systems, lighting systems, climate control systems, audio systems, and all other vehicle systems. On an assembly line, the main wiring harness is placed within the vehicle and the plurality of electrical connectors are mated with various signal sources and component systems. These connectors are usually sealed, keyed and often times include terminal position assurance and connector position assurance features.
In one known application, a main vehicle wiring harness includes a lighting plug which is designed to output power to the vehicle's external lamps. For example, the lighting plug includes output for the headlights, tail lights, turn signals, and parking lights. These outputs must be efficiently distributed from the lighting plug to the appropriate vehicle lamps. One known distribution method is shown in the prior art of FIG. 1 wherein the lamp plug (not shown) is mated with a header 2 mounted within an opening 3 of a sealed headlamp housing 4. This arrangement requires the header 2 to remain sealed in order to preserve the integrity of the sealed head lamp housing 4. Since the lamp plug contains output wires for controlling power to both the sealed headlamp 4 and the remaining tail lamps, turn signals 5, and parking lamps 6, it is necessary to also distribute those output wires from the lamp plug to their respective lamp destinations. In the prior art, this is accomplished by connecting wires from the lamp side of the header 2 through the sealed head lamp housing 4 to another sealed output connector 7 which is sealed within a second opening 8 of the sealed head lamp housing 4. The sealed output connector 7 mates with another plug (not shown) for carrying wire, controlling power to the other lamps such as turn signals 5 and parking lamps 6. This arrangement presents a problem in that two openings 3, 8 are required in the sealed lamp housing 4 thus creating a greater risk of compromising the seal. Also, two connectors 2, 7 and two sets of sealing hardware are required. It is desirable to reduce the risk of compromising the seal in the head lamp housing or within other sealed housings and also to reduce the number of connectors required for distribution of these lamp output signals.